Aurora's Riewaldt to be recognized by American Red Cross

Aurora -- Police Chief Seth Riewaldt will be one of seven people honored May 15 at the American Red Cross of Northeast Ohio's 15th annual Real Heroes banquet.

Riewaldt will be recognized for 35 years of service to the community, adding a police canine and creating a Community Enhancement Team.

In an effort to enhance the department's response in the community, Riewaldt formed the community enhancement team, a division of three officers assigned to address concerns of residents and businesses.

In addition to a police canine, which is now retired, he started the school resource officer program for the Aurora school district. It has grown from one officer to two.

The six other people who'll be honored as Real Heroes are Brimfield's David Irland, who used his First Aid knowledge to save a choking child; Streetsboro's Chance Singer, who rescued a family from an early morning house fire; and Chesterland's Bart Alcorn, who created Clay Eddy Fields-Kiwanis Park and developed employment programs for area adults with disabilities.

Also, Ravenna's Andrew Wawrin, who inspired community members to donate more than 500 pints of blood to help more than 1,500 recipients through the annual Christopher Wawrin Blood Drive; Kent State University's Zoe Burch, who reported the threat of school violence; and Geauga County's Dr. Judah Friedman, who went above and beyond to assist his patients when they needed it the most, according to the American Red Cross of Northeast Ohio.

The Red Cross also will present Robinson Memorial Hospital's Paragon Award to PartsSource founder / CEO A. Ray Dalton. The award recognizes someone who demonstrates a lifelong commitment to humanitarian causes, charitable organizations and the vitality and welfare of the community.

Reservations for the Real Heroes banquet are $40 per person, with the proceeds supporting local Red Cross services. To reserve a space, contact Shelley Sprang at 330-535-2224 or shelley.sprang@redcross.org.